As well as funding from the London Gateway Freeport Community Investment Fund (LGFCIF), further funding from the Place Partnership Expansion initiative has also been awarded. This will allow coordination with partner agencies to create opportunities for Thurrock community sports and mentor providers and local organisations to be funded for Sports and Life Skills prevention and intervention projects.

The funding is available across a three-year period on a sliding scale * Subject to conditions ( See guidance information sheet on website link along with FAQ sheet).

Our Sports and Life Skills grant funding will be open to all community sports and physical activity providers (Thurrock only) who can meet the key criteria and project aims and outcomes as detailed in the guidance sheet. In particular we are looking for organisations who can provide bespoke programmes for young people aged between 11- 24 years within the key categories set out in our partners agenda and offer projects in key locations such as Tilbury, Grays and West Thurrock. Other locations will be considered and scored on areas of need and/or meeting one or more of the partners outcomes.

Grant applications open from 9th June to 20th July.

What will this funding help achieve?

The objectives for the Thurrock Sports and Life Skills programme are comprehensive and aim to address various challenges faced by young people. We hope to provide projects within a SportsPlus model.

Take a look at the Street Games Theory of Change model.

Our 9 key goals
  1. Targeted Prevention and Intervention: Support young people aged 11-24 facing personal or community challenges, particularly those in poverty or deprivation in particular areas listed within 1-3 indexes.
  2. Understanding Vulnerabilities: Educate young people about the risks of exploitation, county lines, gangs, and risk-taking behaviours, which can impact their education and future employment opportunities.
  3. Mental Health and Well-being: Promote positive mental health and help young people make safe choices.
  4. Risk Awareness: Increase understanding of risk-taking behaviours and equip young people with the confidence to resist peer pressure, particularly regarding knife crime, drugs, and gang activities.
  5. Resilience Building: Help young people cope with trauma and adverse childhood experiences without resorting to negative influences.
  6. Volunteering and Qualifications: Provide opportunities for volunteering and gaining sports coaching qualifications to enhance educational achievements.
  7. Community and Police Cohesion: Foster better communication between young people and authorities.
  8. Raising Aspirations: Encourage young people to aim higher in their education and future careers to prevent them becoming or remaining NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) Research highlights– “becoming and remaining NEET can result in being more likely to have a criminal record. There are a number of risk factors and characteristics that increase the likelihood of young people becoming NEET and many of these are consistent with the risk factors associated with violence” Risk factors for being a NEET Young person report OVERLA2.pdf. 2023).
  9. Safe Environment: Create spaces where young people feel they belong and can engage in positive activities with trusted adult support.
Guidance before applying

Please read the funding guidance before applying, and check out our AEF Thurrock Sports and Life Skills FAQS here.

You will be expected to provide monitoring and evaluation on your project if successful. Find out more about the expectations here.

If you would like to apply, please complete both the application form and use the template budget sheet to provide a clear breakdown of costs. Both can be downloaded below.

Should you wish to discuss your application, prior to submission, please email [email protected] to speak with Suzanne Page or Jamie Rhodes.

Application form
Budget template
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